Kal-El (Earth-929)
History 'Birthright' Kal-El, son of Jor-El , was born to an esteemed lineage, on the planet of Krypton . Birthed into a house of scientists, astronomers, and geniuses, Kal was to be the beginning of the next generation of Kryptonian intellectuals. As an infant, Kal showed a higher level of knowledge than the other children of Krypton. He could define and distinguish shapes and walk on both legs during his first year of life, and could speak in his second. Kal showed immense neurological growth as the years went by, and he was eventually classified as a child prodigy. To adults, Kal was the symbol of what they hope the world would become. To Kal, however, he felt like an outsider. Shunned for being overly knowledgeable by the other children, Kal found his only emotion console to be a young Kryptonian pup; a stray whom he adopted and named “Krypto”. When Kal entered his juvenile years, he was sent to the city of Kandor, to become an apprentice to the wonderful mind of Dr. Kur-Van. For three years, Kal studied Kryptonian engineering, Kryptonian medicine, Kryptonian geography, and Evolved Arithmetic. All of these, he was told, would be needed to become a highly ranked intellectual of society. However, Kal felt detached from his studies; as if he did not want to become a professor. As he grew older and smarter, Kal felt himself drifting away from science and more towards military activity. 'General Zod' During his last year of apprenticeship under Dr. Kur-Van, Kal began to study more deeply into Kryptonian warfare and military. His mother discovered this and scolded him, wondering why he would ever want to be a fighter. Kal explained that he didn’t want to harm anyone; just protect the people he loves. Though she did not approve, Lara Lor-Van agreed with her son’s ideals. For this, she allowed him to keep his books. His father, however, was not informed; for he would have been outraged to learn his son preferred brawn over brain. Kal wanted to learn more than just what the books taught him however. He attended a formal military recruitment seminar, where he came in contact with the highly celebrated General Dru-Zod . Kal approached the sign up sheets, in hopes of joining the military, but was instantly shot down due to his young age (of only twelve), and his lanky features. Zod met him after the ceminar, though, informing him that he would train him and help him make the roster for the Kryptonian military. So began a daily routine of Kal-El attending classes with his mentor in the day, and attending late night combat training with General Zod at night. Zod taught Kal an infinite amount of fighting styles. He taught him years’ worth of training, which Kal proved to adapt and learn in record time. He truly was a prodigy- and not just with his mind. One night, however, Zod crossed a tense line. Against military orders, Zod dragged a hostage to their routine training spot. Attempting to torture and kill him, Zod was surprised when Kal tried to stop him. Zod easily overcame Kal, giving him a warning, “If you’re not going to end the fight, then what was the point of starting it in the first place, Kal?” Kal escaped, Zod not bothering to pursue him. The boy raced to the Council Halls, at the peak of Kandor. There he convinced them that Zod was a corrupt military leader, and that he was attempted torture on helpless, disarmed prisoners of war. The Council disagreed with these methods of information gathering, and so they sent out drones and soldiers to recover Zod from his chambers. They were not expecting the hell to follow. 'Civil War' Zod retaliated harshly, killing the soldier that had come to retrieve him, as well as destroying the drones. Rallying an army-sized group of supporters under his banner, Zod declared war on the Council and the rest of the Kryptonian military. This Civil War would last for six months and would be known as the Dark Days. During this time, Kal-El, his mother, and his father moved out into the country side. There they lived peacefully, choosing to stay out of the war. Kal revealed to his father out of guilt that he had taken fighting lessons from Zod himself. Jor-El shunned his son for weeks, until he finally accepted the fact that Kal was going to have to see the bad parts of the world one way or another. Towards the end of the Dark Days, Kal began to feel weary and sick. After testing his blood, his father deduced that Kal had contracted a rare, Kryptonian disease known as Rorack’s Plague. This disease would cause Kal to self-combust, killing him in a matter of years. Despite the immenent threat of danger arriving at any time, Jor-El and Lara convinced themselves that putting their son in a Cryo Containment Pod was the only way to save his life. Depending on how long he remained in the pod would determine how long his diseased body would stay halted. The cryo pod, instead, put Kal into a prolonged coma and paralysis. Distraught and angry, Lara did not speak to Jor-El for weeks. 'Destruction of Krypton' While Kal was in cryostasis, Zod decided to attack the heart of Krypton- Mount Kryptonis. Home to the Council’s holy Citadel, Zod did not realize that the mountain was also home to Krypton’s core. Drilling an interweaving system of tunnels into the rock face to reach the Citadel, Zod harshly disrupted the balance of the planet, sending it into a catastrophic countdown to imminent destruction. Using a seismic transmitter, Jor-El deduced that the planet had only twenty four hours until it was going to explode. With all of the spaceships either destroyed, or under Zod’s control, Kal’s Cryo pod was the only thing left to transport off world. Jor-El tried to open it, but this proved to be a grave mistake. Opening the hatch exposed the comatose Kal-El to a wave of fresh seismic toxins, which increased the rate at which the disease spread. Realizing that Kal-El would need to complete the procedure of a full, blood stream freezing in order to sustain his health, Jor-El placed Kal-El in a red and blue containment suit, and set him back inside of the pod. As the last great intellectual mind of Krypton, Kal-El the prodigy was destined to live. Jor-El began entering coordinates as the planet slowly started to self-combust. The pod would enter a straight flight to a far off planet; one inhabited by creatures exposed to yellow sun radiation. He determined that the sun would feed into Kal-El’s cells, giving him super human abilities unlike any Kryptonian. He would be a god amongst men; not an outsider, but a symbol. Before Jor-El sent off the pod, Lara insisted that Krypto be placed in the pod along with Kal. This would make him feel more at home on the foreign planet, and less like an outcast. Jor-El did as instructed, placing Krypto in a specially-designed sustainment collar and placing him in the pod. Kal-El’s pod rocketed into space, as Krypton began to perish behind it. This would be the last time he would see the planet and his people; but it would be the first step of a new life. 'Earth' Kal-El’s containment pod crash landed in the rural country town of Smallville, Kansas on the planet of Earth . Stranded and locked up in a burning ship, Kal was fortunately found by a married couple, Johnathan and Martha Kent. A farmer and his wife, Johnathan and Martha knew instantly that Kal was not of this world. They took him back to their barn, where they nursed him back to health. Surprisingly, but unbeknownst to the Kents, the combination of Earth’s chemical atmosphere and the cryostasis blood freezing cured the boy’s disease almost 98%. When he awoke, Kal found himself wrought with amnesia. Not knowing where he was, who he was, or what he was, the only thing he recognized was the large, white pup that sat next to him. Johnathan Kent put the blue and red containment suit in the barn, hidden away from the eyes of the young boy. The couple adopted Kal-El as their “special” son, as they had never given birth to kids due to Martha’s infertility. Naming him Clark Kent, they were surprised to find that the young, twelve year old boy knew full English, and knew more about math, science, and other subjects than they did. Clark lived a happy life in Smallville, having adapted to Earth normally. Despite this, he felt as though his life was incomplete. He felt like an outsider, as he had on Krypton, due to his higher knowledge than the other children. Clark had no friends, and it would remain that way for years. When he entered high school, Clark began to have dreams of a far off planet. He dreamt of alien animals, advanced technology, and two people who looked more like him then his own parents (Johnathan and Martha). One day at school, Clark witnessed a bullying incident. He approached the bully, who in return started a fight with Clark. Something triggered inside of him, and he punched the bully back. Instead of knocking him out or just grazing off of the boy, the bully instead flew through the wall and out the other side. Clark had discovered his super powers. 'Nature vs. Nurture' After discovering that he had abnormally enhanced strength, Clark’s life began to change drastically. One day, while working in the fields, a car veered off the road and headed toward an overlooking cliff face. Clark ran after the car, and suddenly realized that he was moving faster than any Olympic athlete. Everything seemed like a blur of slowness as he passed them. Grabbing the car just as it flew over the cliff, Clark was amazed as he defied gravity and began to fly. He set the car down on the side of the road, the passenger knocked out from shock, and headed home. Informing Johnathan and Martha of these strange new abilities, he was surprised when his father told him to keep them a secret. Not understanding why, Clark ran away from home for a long week. In this week, Clark traveled to Metropolis ; a big, metropolitan city on the other side of the United States. Here, he witnessed great atrocities. Muggings and car thefts happened around every corner, and Clark tried his best to stop them. However, he was reckless and out of control, causing millions and millions of dollars of tax damage. Clark returned home, unscathed physically but not mentally. His parents sat down with him, giving him a long talk about the morality of the world, and what was truly right from wrong. “Your mother and I have tried to install in you the goodness of mankind,” Johnathan told him. “We want you to grow up and teach your kids the same; we want you to fight for truth, justice, and the good ol’ fashioned American Way.” Johnathan took Clark out to the barn, informing him that there would be no more lies amongst their family. He showed Clark the suit, and suddenly the boy remembered everything. He remembered his birth name, his birth parents…he remembered Krypton and the Civil War that had caused its destruction. As Clark (or Kal-El) donned the suit for the first time in years, he was surprised as a large, yellow and red “S” protruded from his chest. It glimmered and shined and he muttered a single word under his breath, “Super…” Clark would go on to learn how to control his powers for the rest of his high school career. Over the course of his youth, he discovered that the radiation of Earth’s yellow sun had caused his cells to have an intense “allergic” reaction, giving him abnormal, god-like ability. Through this, he had gained the power of exerting heat from his eyes and subzero frost from his breath, super strength, super speed, flight, steel like skin that could not be broken or scratched by anything, and so much more. He was truly a god amongst men. 'The S on his Chest' After graduating high school, and gaining a scholarship to the Metropolis University of Astronomy, Clark said goodbye to Kansas and headed to the big city. Having hid his secret for a good while now, Clark was in full control of his powers; but did not yet know how to use them for the right purpose. In Metropolis, Clark bought his first apartment, near the Upper East Side. Despite the gangs and thugs that roamed the area, Clark felt that he needed to expose himself to negative things, in order to distinguish them specifically from good and evil. For while, he simply went around without his glasses on, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, with a red cape he had created at the University’s lab using high-tech, near indestructible weaves. Eventually, the public became aware of his deeds. Some worshiped him as a savior, coining him with the name, “Superman”. Others, however, believed him to be a menace. One reporter, however, was completely obsessed with Clark. Her names Lois Lane , and her column ever week for the Daily Planet revolved around “Superman”. Clark couldn't help but be curious about Lane, and when the time was right, he applied for a job at the newspaper publisher himself. Strangely however, Lane rejected him at first. Surprised, Clark realized the imperfect balance between human perception and the truth. For months, Clark tried to get as close to Lois as possible; but to no prevail. The S on his chest stood for Superman, but without he was simply another human. Conflicted on whether to be happy for feeling normal, or sad for feeling rejected, Clark worked hard and became a prime editor at the Planet. Attracting the attention of chief editor Perry White, Clark was surprised when he was asked to do a piece on Superman. Having never interviewed himself, Clark spent a prolonged amount of time writing the article. Only when he faced his first real threat, did he finally answer his own life question: What would he do for humanity? 'The Return of Zod' Clark was attacked in his sleep. The block his apartment was on was sent up in flames, as a strange beam of light descended from the heavens. Citizens screamed and ran in the night, as a large piercing hovered over the city. As Clark donned his suit and cape, he realized, without a doubt, that it was a Kryptonian war vessel. Confirming his suspicions, he watched as three floating figures descended from above. They were clad in black and silver armor, Kryptonian sigils on their chest. They carried weapons, and bulged with the same strength as he. A fight ensued in the streets of Metropolis, as Superman battled the aggressive strangers. Defeating two of them with ease, he found it peculiarly strange that the third one knew his every move. He blocked and parried all of Clark’s blows, and even landed a few blows into his rib cage and chest. As Clark prepared to unleash a blizzard of artic breath on the attacker, the man’s helmet retracted to reveal a grudgingly familiar face. General Dru-Zod stood before him, a large scar across his face. He snarled and chuckled at Clark, beginning his long monologue. He laughed, happy that Kal-El at least remembered his days on Krypton. He stated how disgusted he was, that Kal had become so close to the human race. Zod referred to them as animals that needed to be tamed like dogs. Angered and furious, Superman and General Zod battled across the city. Eventually the fight was taken to the Daily Planet, where Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and others were hiding in seclusion. Zod knocked over the Daily Planet globe, distracting Superman as he raced to catch it. Zod took Lane and the others hostage, threatening to vaporize them on the spot if Kal-El didn’t cooperate. With no other choice, Clark did as the general instructed. Zod took Kal prisoner, and readied to execute him on live television. As Zod readied the final blow, Clark felt a spark of life inside of him. He now knew the difference between good, bad, and pure evil. Stealing from people was bad. But trying to rule the weak was just wrong. Humans were defenseless and nowhere near as powerful as Kryptonians; but they were not ones to be subjugated. At this moment, Clark distinguished his Kryptonian nature from his human morality and retaliated on Zod. With an immensely larger amount of strength, Clark overpowered Zod and held him by neck. “I may be from Krypton, but Earth is my home now.” He told the insane general. “I will protect these people, for as long as they can’t protect themselves. I am no longer Kal-El.” Zod spat in his face, chuckling softly and recalling the simple fact that he would, “always be Kal-El.” Conflicted and confused, Clark made the final decision: to save the lives of millions, he would take the life of one. Superman’s hand flew through Zod’s chest, killing him instantly. The man of steel fell to the floor, distraught and traumatized. The last connection to his race was gone, and he had murdered someone in cold blood. The repercussions of this would follow him his whole life, but the events of that day paved the path for him to become Metropolis’s protector. 'The Heroic Age' After the battle of Metropolis, Superman was met with heroic praise. Despite having statues erected of him, as well as gaining thousands of supporters, there were still many who thought that he was a bad sign for things to come. And indeed he was both of these things; a savior and a destroyer. As the Age of Heroes began, more and more super humans began surfacing up around the world. But with for every good super human, there was a bad one. The world became a dangerous place, and soon normal men and women were more afraid than ever to leave their houses. Superman was blamed by tabloids that called him the, “Harbinger of End Times”. Despite this, he continued to be the savior of Metropolis, saving it from the likes of petty super villains such as Parasite and Batroc the Leaper. As the Heroic Age evolved, so did the villainous community, though. Eventually, this would create a lifelong rivalry between Superman and his ultimate nemesis: Lex Luthor . 'Superman: Nemesis' Alexander Luthor, an esteemed socialite and billionaire, had it all. Money. Power. Women. But there was one thing he didn’t have, that Superman did; the trust of the people. A burning jealousy had grown inside of Lex Luthor, ever since Superman had arrived in Metropolis. Convinced that heroes and aliens were to be the death of our world, Luthor hated Superman – and everything he stood for – to the core. As Superman grew in popularity, Luthor grew in envy. He spent countless days studying Superman’s fighting styles, abilities, and physiology. After years of research, he finally deduced that Superman was an alien from the extinct planet of Krypton. Kryptonians – a lost race of advanced alien beings. Having confirmed his suspicions (that Superman was not of this world), Luthor set out to discover any and all of the Last Son of Krypton’s weaknesses. Eventually, he discovered that years ago the U.S. military had confiscated Superman’s space pod – when the Kents had failed to do so. Luthor studied the pod, and found traces of a green, crystalline residue. Dubbing the crystal Kryptonite , Luthor deduced that the radiation on the crystal – which had absorbed red sun energy – could weaken, and even kill, the man of steel. Creating a suit of armor that could harness the power of Kryptonite and project it out like lasers, Lex Luthor set out to finally challenge the hero he hated. He was determined to prove that, “No one was immortal.” For years they would go on to battle, with Superman always coming out on top. Despite the fact that the blue boyscout always won, Luthor would never stop trying to kill him; this obssession slowly began to turn into insanity. 'The Justice League (and other teams)' As the idea of super heroes protecting us became more prominent and accepted, Superman began to come in contact with more and more super heroes. Befriending the likes of Batman , Wonder Woman , and the Green Lantern , the heroes gathered together for annual meetings to discuss the happenings in the world. One year, however, during the New Year’s Celebration, the arch-nemeses of Superman (Lex Luthor), Batman (the Joker ), Wonder Woman (Cheetah ), the Flash (Professor Zoom ), Green Lantern (Star Sapphire ) and Aquaman (Black Manta ), attacked the heroes at one of their annual meetings. After defeating them – though not without difficulty – the heroes decided that the world could not escape threats like these; and they could not escape threats like these alone. Forming the Justice League of America , these heroes started an extensive organization of the world’s greatest heroes from across the nation. Dedicated to protecting humanity from the likes of Earthly and off world threats, they would go on to become one of the biggest names in hero history. After the founding of the Justice League, thousands of other super hero teams began to form. Superman realized that the world would benefit greatly if he worked with multiple heroes, instead of just the Justice League. This would ultimately set the path for him to become the founder of his own super hero team, The Legion of Superheroes. 'Dynamic Duo' During an event in which HYDRA planned to invade Metropolis, Superman met the famous, yet pig headed, hero: Iron Man . Having revealed his alter ego as Tony Stark to the public, Iron Man was loved and adored by the public. For a while, the two butted heads. Superman’s righteous morality conflicted with Iron Man’s “I don’t care” attitude. Eventually, they engaged in a grudge match that leveled a small Pennsylvanian town. Superman easily defeated Tony Stark, but not without a struggle. Iron Man showed his respect for Superman, having seen that he was not one to mess with. Forming a lifelong friendship, the two defeated HYDRA, and would later rely on each other multiple times when they were in a scrap. 'World's Finest: The Death of Superman' Batman and Superman had never liked each other. Superman had always tried to help out the Caped Crusader; had always tried to appreciate and figure out why he did what he did. But Batman saw him as a threat – and only that. Ever since Batman had recovered from a broken back injury (at the hands of Bane ), he had been very cautious and wary of his surroundings. Not a single person left or entered Gotham City without him knowing about it. So naturally, when Superman came to Gotham to talk to Batman, his first instinct was of danger. Having been tired and distraught, Batman irrationally attacked Superman and a fight ensued. The battle raged for days, the streets of Gotham City ravaged with fire and debris. Ultimately, Batman pulled a last, desperate trick from his utility belt: a Kryptonite ring that he had fashioned in his Batcave . Superman was defeated, but the two had now formed an even rockier relationship. It seemed as though the two would never be friends; as if they would live their life in constant rivalry. One day however, a being came to Earth that would change the lives of everyone. It was creature, with skin like rock and with much more power than any Kryptonian. The teenage super hero Spider-Man coined the name for this monster: Doomsday . Doomsday began destroying countless American cities. He ravaged the coast, even killing some super heroes. Despite the efforts of the Justice League of America and the Avengers , no one could defeat this beast. Eventually he came to Metropolis, where he grudgingly revealed that he was in search of Superman. The man of steel battled the beast in the streets of the great American city, with Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America , and Mister Fantastic at his side. However, this proved useless. Doomsday easily defeated all of the other heroes; even Batman. As Doomsday readied the final blow for the dark knight, Superman saved his life by taking the blow in his stead. This ultimately killed the last son of Krypton, which enraged the other heroes. After weeks of fighting, Batman ultimately devised a plan to have the Hulk launch Doomsday into a vacuum of space, where he would wander endlessly for eternity. However, the world plunged itself into sorrow. With the death of Superman, came the death of humanity’s spirit. Memorials were erected for the red caped hero, and Batman felt guilty for his death. This would traumatize him for years to come, and only serve as a reminder that Superman was indeed one of the greatest heroes of all time. 'Project Sagittarius' Superman’s death shocked the world. The amount of heroes began to dwindle, and people finally realized how much of a symbol Superman was to not only the human community, but the hero community as well. Post-Doomsday, the U.S. Government noticed a rise in crime and murder. Villains roamed free, while heroes sat either depressed or missing. In order to get the world back on its feet, the military began a special, classified program, known only as Project Sagittarius . With the help of infamous super villain, Alexander “Lex” Luthor, the military and the government harvested special samples of Kryptonian DNA, and used it to clone Superman. Into Project Sagittarius went the DNA, and out came Kon-El – the genetic clone of Superman. Kon-El, the Superman without a cape, became the new icon of world peace. Saving the day thousands of times, people all but forgot about Superman, and praised Superboy for his immense strength and bravery. He was faster, stronger, and more durable than Superman in every way. But Kon-El had one flaw: he was not raised the same as Superman. He knew not the fine distinction between good and evil. He knew not when to hold back his aggression. And worst of all it was not uncommon for him to risk innocent lives for the “greater good” of man. The United Nations realized that if Kon-El was not terminated or locked up, he had the extreme potential to turn against humanity and ultimately destroy them. Thus, Project Sagittarius continued. They created another clone, who they named Kai-El . Kai-El was partially an android, containing all of Superman’s powers, but with robotic abilities as well. Programmed as an assassin, the military sent Kai-El out to slay Superboy. What they were not expecting was for Cyborg Superman to turn on them. Rebelling against his creators, it was Cyborg Superman who brought about the mass murder of many government officials; not Superboy. Kon-El fought Cyborg Superman for days, but nothing seemed to wear the android down. As Cyborg Superman beat Superboy into submission, prepare to slaughter him and then the world, the inevitable happened. A mysterious figure appeared over them. He looked like Superman, he spoke like Superman, and he was dressed in a black and white suit, similar to Superman’s. His cape was red, and it flowed from his back like a scarlet tail. He spoke three unforgettable words: “I. Am. Superman.” 'Superman Returns' The figure was undoubtedly Superman. Cyborg Superman and Superboy stood in awe as the man who was supposed to be dead descended from the heavens. The world and people around them stared in disbelief, as their hero returned. Superman revealed that years in cryostasis had made him nearly immortal, and that being hit by Doomsday so hard and so much had just restarted the blood freezing process. He had still had almost 2% of the Kryptonian disease left in him, and so he had returned to a trans-dimmensional type cryostasis. Now that he was 100% cured, he had returned from the “dead” and was ready to reclaim his city. Superman showed more strength then he had ever had, as he helped Kon-El defeat Cyborg Superman. He proved an even tougher adversary, being able to break the sound barrier with just the snap of his fingers. He ripped out Cyborg Superman’s motherboard, sending the android into self-destruct, and was praised as the savior of the day. However, being a humble soul, Superman gave all credit to Kon-El and requested that the young clone become his partner. Treating Superboy as a son, Superman gave him the alias of Connor Kent, and the boy soon moved into Clark’s pent house with him. 'Back to Life' Despite being welcomed back as a hero, Clark found it hard to get back into the swing of things. To boot, he felt very abnormal, now having a clone. The fact that someone genetically identical out there, but not even related to him, gave him the sense that he was vulnerable. Superman continued with life, however. Around this time, Clark chose to reveal to Lois Lane that he was Superman. They had grown closer over the past few years, and had even started dating. After first, she was enraged that he had never told her, but she quickly came to accept this remarkable revelation. Things felt different; what with the new supporters and the new outfit. More villains began to arise, but with new found strength they were nothing for Superman. Something, however, was coming. Superman knew that peace could not last forever, and he felt a strange since that something was going to happen that would change not only him but the world, as well, forever. 'Road to Rapture' The Silver Surfer came to Earth, to herald the coming of Galactus . At this time, Superman was under the command of the United States Military, and was quickly told to apprehend the alien subject. Intent on talking it out, he was surprised when the Silver Surfer showed signs of aggression. Not willing to take risks, Superman engaged in battle. Silver Surfer and Superman eventually ended up in space, shattering asteroids and satellites. Finally, Superman called upon the allied help of the Human Torch and Martian Manhunter to help him take down the cosmic foe. Silver Surfer was taken to a military facility, where they began experimenting on him and his board. Superman disagreed with these methods, and tried his best to convince them not to try methods of torture. However, the military did not listen, and Superman was forced to go elsewhere. As the days went on, Superman’s increasing thought of danger increased. He switched from his black suit back to his former blue and red, in order to have a sense of familiarity once more. Something had to feel “old fashioned”, after all. Superman was called for assistance by the Fantastic Four , to the planet of Jupiter . When he arrived, he found that the Fantastic Four were engaged in a battle with an all-powerful alien being known as the Super-Skrull . With the combined strengths of Superman and the Thing , they defeated the Super-Skrull and put him into submission. The alien gave his last words, however, by saying, “He’s coming…” This put Superman on edge, and when he returned to Earth he found himself troubled and sleepless. He could not stop doing heroic things, and was soon not coming home at all. Lois became worried, but she figured that he was just being a super hero – as usual. During his time away from home, Superman and Iron Man went on a mission to the Savage Land , where they were Superman armor]]captured by the Leader and thrown into an arena. There they were forced to fight a flurry of mind controlled, Hulk-related opponents; including the incredible Hulk himself. During this tournament-like battle, Iron Man used his Superman Suit; a special suit he had designed during Superman’s “death absence”. It was equipped with all of Superman’s powers, including heat vision and ice repulsor rays. Together, the two defeated the Hulk’s, with Superman delivering the final blow to the Hulk. As the Hulk’s mind control was broken, all of them defeated the Leader and returned to civilization. Back in America, the military was still torturing Silver Surfer. Superman still disagreed with these methods, and confronted President at the White House. The President quickly reminded Superman who he worked for, and who was in charge. Infuriated, Superman resigned from his role as an ally of the government. Around this time, Galactus arrived. He took the world by surprise, first burning Brazil to the ground, and next London. Many heroes died, as did many people. When Galactus arrived, Silver Surfer was rejuvenated. He apologized for all the trouble he had caused, and all the death that was about to happen. Superman ignored this, realizing that the Silver Surfer was simply a slave to Galactus. As Galactus landed on Earth, Superman rallied a group of super heroes together to stop him. 'Rapture' Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Thor , Spider-Man, Namor , and Black Widow all came together to face Galactus in a fight for the ages. They battled for what felt like months, the world suffering more damage than ever. The Justice League, the Avengers, the X-Men , the Fantastic Four, the Teen Titans …they all helped out at different intervals, but nothing proved to be good enough to silence Galactus for good. Even the Hulk couldn’t defeat the World Eater. Galactus eventually capture Thor and Captain America, as well as the other heroes. Superman was the only one left, and the fate of the world was in his hands. Going to Silver Surfer for advice, the cosmic rider told Superman that the only way to defeat Galactus was to Krash the Earth. By Krashing he meant using cosmic artifacts to merge the world into one. This would make the Earth a Super Planet , combining it with the other planets such as Jupiter, Mars , etc. Superman understood, despite being hesitant, and borrowed Silver Surfer’s board. Traveling deep into space, he recovered Captain America’s Vibranium shield, as well as Thor’s almighty hammer,'' Mjolnir . Imbued with the indomitable will and worthiness of a great hero, Superman was able to lift the hammer with ease. Taking the fight to Galactus himself, Superman battled the demonic enemy on the Moon. A battle that would be remembered forever, Superman merged Earth with the rest of the Solar System, using the hammer, the shield, and the board. With his immense Kryptonian strength, he defeat Galacutus and created the Milky Way Galaxy’s first ever Super Planet. 'Earth One' The new Super Planet was dubbed Earth One. The various inhabitants of Earth now ranged from not just humans and animals, but foreign life as well. Together they lived, simultaneously and not without hate. Aggression arose, as man tried to cope with the fact that they were so close to “aliens” now. Superman, now even more hated than before, was known as the fault for this event. Enlisting in the help of Reed Richards and Batman, Kal-El used the Wayne Foundation as well as resources from Stark Industries to try and reverse the effects of the planet Krashing. This research, however was in vain, as the effects of the cosmic event seemed permanent. The best thing, it seemed, was to try and go on with their everyday lives. The universe was saved – for now. 'The Last Daughter of Krypton' As life went on – though a little weirder – Superman began to feel a lost presence in his soul. Suddenly having been surrounded by cities of sentient life, Kal-El was feeling more home sick than ever. He had grown up on both Krypton and Earth, but he yearned for more knowledge of his long lost birth planet. Around this time, a strange ship crashed into Gotham City. Batman investigated, only to find a curious young woman inside. With the same physiology and abilities as Superman, the girl introduced herself as Kara Zor-El – Kal-El’s long lost cousin. Naming her Supergirl, Kal-El listened, fascinated by her stories. She claimed to have been the only one to rocket off of Krypton successfully; or so she had thought. Supergirl proved to be a single, strong link between Superman and his homeworld. For months Kara trained, honing her skills and abilities. She formed a strong brother-sister relationship with both Clark and Connor, the latter being more successful at teaching her than the former. Together they became the world’s iconic symbol of truth, justice, and the American Way. Supergirl flew her way into the peoples’ hearts, and set up shop there to stay. 'The Championship' Superman was approached by Batman, Iron Man, and Captain America. To the world these four heroes were original founders]]known as The Big Four; to each other, they were known as a threat. Iron Man suggested that they each make contingency plans for each other, to which Batman replied, “Too late”. Suggesting that they form a team made up of the strongest super heroes alive, Captain America asked Superman to be their leader. As the strongest super hero alive, he would be the founder of the Championship . Consisting of only a few dozen super heroes, the Championship would go on to save Earth One from enemies such as, Mongul , the Sinestro Corps , the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants , Hydra , Lobo the Space Biker, the Injustice Society of Super Villains, Ronan and Kree , the Skrull Army, the dastardly Doctor Doom and his armies, Loki and his giants, and even a revenge-ridden robot designated only as Ultron . The Championship would become the most well-known, and well-supported, super hero organization of all time. Despite their many differences and diversities, they worked together for the betterment of man. And at the head of their organization stood the leader of them all: Superman. 'Present Day' Superman leads the Championship into battle against many formidable foes. He has a happy marriage, and is thinking about having children as well. Personality Superman is commonly seen as a brave and kind-hearted hero with a strong sense of justice, morality and righteousness. He adheres to a strict moral code often attributed to the small town American values with which he was raised, thanks to his adoptive parents. His commitment to operating within the law has been an example to many other heroes but has stirred resentment among others, who refer to him as the "big blue boy scout." Superman can be rather rigid in this trait, causing tensions in the superhero community, notably with Wonder Woman (one of his closest friends) after she killed Maxwell Lord. To protect his secret identity, Superman has constructed a persona in his civilian identity as Clark Kent. To the world at large, Clark is a mild-mannered and clumsy person. Only Lois Lane, his wife, knows that this attitude is just an act. Having lost his home world of Krypton, Superman is very protective of Earth, and especially of Clark Kent’s family and friends. This same loss, combined with the pressure of using his powers responsibly, has caused Superman to feel lonely on Earth, despite his many friends, his wife and his parents. Previous encounters with people he thought to be fellow Kryptonians, Power Girl (who is, in fact from the Krypton of the Earth-Two universe) and Mon-El, have led to disappointment. The arrival of Supergirl, who has been confirmed to be not only from Krypton but also his cousin, has relieved this loneliness somewhat. Powers & Abilities Powers '''Kryptonian Physiology': Superman's cellular structure is much more dense, resilient, and biologically more effective than human tissue. Strangely enough, he does not seem to possess superhuman strength levels despite his enhanced cellular ability without his cellular structure charged with yellow solar energy. Without such charging, his strength seems on par for a human of his height and weight who engages in regular physical activity. As an alien he possesses several organs whose functions are not yet disclosed or understood but are believed to be part of and perhaps even the source of his biomatrix force field and reclamation aura. Superman's body also stores energy actively within his bio-cellular matrix as an energy pattern that is linked to his body's electromagnetic field. This energy powers most of Superman's electromagnetic capabilities such as flight and heat vision. It also supplements his physical strength by a factor of 12,000 times or so. Solar Battery: Technically, this is the main source of Superman's powers. As a Kryptonian, Superman's cells absorb yellow solar energy, and this in turn, fuels all of his powers and abilities. Superman's cells also store solar energy as well, allowing him to retain his powers under roofed structures or even at night, although he eventually needs a yellow sun to recharge his powers. Superman can also absorb solar energies of other class stars such as when he absorbed the solar energies of a blue star that increased his abilities to a higher degree and gave him additional abilities. *'Superhuman Strength': The exact magnitude of Superman's strength is unknown. This is because Superman's strength, like his many other powers, has fluctuated over time. However, his strength should effortlessly range into the multi-megaton level at the very least. While the exact magnitude of Superman's strength is unknown, it is generally accepted that his strength easily surpasses the capacity to lift 1,000,000 tons, but how much more is not known exactly. This makes Superman the strongest being on the planet and one of the strongest beings in the universe. Superman has shown feats of strength such as being seen lifting an enormous pyramid and flying it to Mars without any strain (which can weigh millions and millions of tons depending on their size), being capable of ripping off the arm of the likes of Darkseid and physically defeating him in combat, being able to move the planet Earth away from the Sun while a powerful Cosmic Entity named the Phoenix was pushing it toward the Sun, and having the strength necessary to shatter entire worlds. Superman has been chained to the endless wheels of the Mageddon machinery and his strength was used to move the gears of a weapon whose size dwarfed the entire Earth/Moon system itself. Most recently he has been shown to be able to bench press the weight of the Earth (approximately 6 sextillion tons) for 5 days, while inside the Earth itself (and thus deprived of replenishing his reserves of solar energy). He can become "supercharged" and exceed his "normal" power levels as evident when his power absorption ability ran amok, requiring the Parasite to drain off his excessive power levels. *'Invulnerability': Superman's body is nigh-invulnerable. This ability's levels have changed over time. He has taken a blast equivalent to a million nuclear warheads point blank and remained conscious. Currently he is even more durable than in the past. He has entered the Sun and emerged completely unharmed, he has even traveled through Krypton's Red Sun and survived physically unharmed, even though Red Solar Radiation depowers and weakens him. He has been seen to skirt the photosphere of the sun (100,000,000 degrees F). Superman has even been shown withstanding Darkseid's Omega Beams, a feat that was previously considered impossible. Superman was able to survive the nuclear destruction of the entire moon in the year 2995 when he was stuck in the future. The moon had been lined with sufficient nuclear devices to disintegrate it in one shot and Superman was in the center and survived without being hurt at all. Superman has withstood 3 particle beams, each powered by the core of a planet, fired at him. One of these planet-powered beams was a plasma beam capable of leveling a huge city a few times over entirely with a single blast. Most likely his greatest feat of durability recently is that he was able to withstand the destructive power of a sun going nova and exploding, which was a result of Brainiac’s technology; this blast was at point-blank range to the planet he was on, which was eradicated by the force of the explosion with the rest of the surrounding system, and he survived without any visible physical damage, though the explosion did knock him out. In addition, his immune system protects him from all toxins and diseases. The reason for this is because Superman possesses a super-dense molecular structure and a supercharged bio-electric "aura" that acts as an invisible "force field" around his body within a few millimeters from his skin. The proximity of this field to his skin means that loose clothes, for example, may be burned off of him, while cloth that is close to his body is protected by the "aura;" This phenomenon is sometimes cited as Superman's reason for wearing a skin-tight bodysuit. It is sometimes implied that he can unconsciously extend this field to an undetermined extent to protect a greater area, allowing him to carry huge objects within the Earth's atmosphere and without gravity or inertia tearing them apart around his human-sized hands. *'Longevity': Superman can live almost indefinitely. *'Superhuman Stamina': Superman has the ability to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an undefined period. Theoretically, most incarnations of the character have unlimited stamina as his enhanced nourishment is produced from the solar energy his cells process. Superman like other Kryptonians does not get tired and does not need to eat or sleep and can be sustained on Solar energy alone. He can also hold his breath for an undefined duration. *'Flight': Under one Earth gravity Superman is capable of flying at faster-than-light speeds. He tends to fly at speeds of Mach 10 in the atmosphere. His control of his flight is perfect and he can perform aerobatic feats such as hovering, flying backwards, and even lifting great weights while flying. Superman can fly at speeds many times faster than light. Superman can also fly in outer space. He has been seen to fly to the moon in minutes, so it can be assumed that he can fly faster than that without atmospheric interference. *'Superhuman Speed': Superman is capable of enhanced reflex action and the ability to move at incredible speeds by sheer force of will. While not nearly as fast as the Flash, Superman can move at speeds much faster than light and is one of the fastest beings in the universe. Superman can match most other speedsters in their ability to perform super fast movements, reactions, and processes. He can use this power to disarm opponents with or without heightened reflexes, catch bullets or shrapnel or cross vast distances in seconds. Superman can also run at incredible speeds and even keep up with most speedsters; he was seen running steadily alongside the Flash at a speed of 2000 miles per second (around Mach 9350). He has been seen flying from the Moon to the Earth in less than 2 minutes. Superman is so fast that he is even able to vibrate his molecules through blows akin to what the Flash can do as seen in his fight with Doomsday. He has also used the Infinite Mass Punch, another Flash power, by accelerating to just under the speed of light, with his mass increasing to infinity, when he had to destroy a shadow replica of the moon created by Shadow Thief, which had the same mass as the original, (roughly 8.4 billion tons). *'Superhuman Hearing': Superman has incredible hearing at extreme variances of sound and pitch frequency, allowing him to pick up noises from across the globe. He has shown enough control to block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source/frequency. He can hear every single heartbeat, as well as the blood pumping through everyone's veins, hear every foot step, every cell phone signal as it lances through the air and more. He can identify a person by their heartbeat, or pick out a single voice in an entire world. *'Super Smell': On various occasions, Superman has demonstrated that his sense of smell is significantly enhanced to the point he can smell odors across the entire planet without any problem. *'Super Scream': In one instance, Superman was shown to have the ability to project a "super scream" from his vocal cords. He used this ability to cancel out the impending threat of an already exploding nuclear detonation. He used this power(or something similar to it)when he destroyed Darkseid's essence from the Miracle Machine by singing a cord at such a frequency that it countered Darksied's own vibrational frequency,thus destroying his essence. *'Self-Sufficiency': Doesn't need to eat and sleep so long as he's under the effects of yellow sun radiation. His body stores the energy necessary to negate eating and sleeping for an indefinite period. *'Healing Factor': In the extreme event that Superman is harmed, either by an alien matching his own strength or other occurrence, he has been shown to have the ability to heal almost instantaneously from any wound, assuming that the process is not impeded from some outside factor i.e. Kryptonite. This "healing factor" is supplemented by his stores of solar energy. *'Super Breath': The ability to create hurricane force winds by blowing, and to chill his breath in order to freeze a target (this latter ability has also been called "freeze breath" and "arctic breath"). The ability to chill inhaled air is a function of Superman's great strength and invulnerability. When Superman takes air into his lungs they compress the incoming gas. When this gas expands upon exhalation, in a fashion analogous to the operation of an air conditioners compressor, the sudden increase in volume of the gas causes its temperature to drop proportionally to the size of this expansion. Superman can also breathe in large amounts of air, an ability used when dealing with and disposing things like clouds of poison gas. *'Heat Vision': The ability to fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it with the conscious act of activating this power. Visually, the power is typically depicted as two beams of red light firing from his eyes. These beams can be made invisible, allowing Superman to work undetected. His heat vision is so powerful that they are able to power up the giant ion planet moving engines with his heat vision alone, annihilate an entire army of Doomsday clones in one blast, and has even been stated to rival the heat of a Star. The area of effect can be consciously determined by Superman, down to the microscopic level. Recent stories imply the precision is so exact it can bypass a target's outer shell, not causing damage to a person's skull for surgical purposes. *'Super Vision': He also possesses a superior sensory arrangement of microscopic, telescopic, infrared and ultraviolet visual capabilities. He is able to see the entire spectrum. STAR Laboratories has not been able to completely define how Superman has been able to utilize his powerful senses, part of the mechanism is physical, part of it is believed to be psionic in nature. Abilities include: Electro-magnetic Spectrum Vision: Superman can see into all of the EM Spectrum. He can see and identify radio/television and any and all broadcast/transmitted frequencies, allowing him to avoid detection through radar or satellite monitoring methods. Superman can see the aura that every living thing generates. Telescopic Vision: The ability to focus his vision to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. *'Microscopic Vision': The ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the sub atomic level. *'X-Ray Vision': The ability to see through anything except lead. Opponents sometimes used lead-lined constructs in an attempt to hide things from Superman. He can see things behind a wall as if the wall were not there, or can "peel back" layer after layer of matter in his mind. Kal-El is able to focus his vision past layers of matter, literally seeing "through" them -- possibly perceiving x-rays, cosmic rays or other forms of energy invisible to normal human vision which pass through Earth's atmosphere (and solid objects) after emission from stars. Since it is passive, this ability would not generate harmful radiation in the same manner as a focused projection of hard X-rays. Abilities Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): He has been trained by both Wildcat (in Boxing), and Mongul in the fighting arts. Superman has fought and learned from Wonder Woman. He has also learned more advanced martial arts techniques from Batman. *'Boxing' *Torquasm-Rao (Kryptonian Martial Art) *Torquasm-Vo (Kryptonian Martial Art) Genius-Level Intellect: Superman has shown incredible intelligence and computational abilities; his mind works sharply and with extreme speed relative to earth-humans. His analytical powers are impressive — he is able to use his senses to read information directly from machines (and, with careful usage of his heat vision, he can even reprogram machines). Recently after he regained his powers in the "One Year Later" arc, his brain's intelligence has increased and it operates with much greater speed, procession, and analytical prowess, to the point he can recall things in such detail that he knows the ballistics of every shot by Bloodshot and the vector and mass of each and every one of Riot's bodies. He can see into one of the most advanced Kryptonian Sun Stone Battle Ships and watch energy patterns shift and change, trace command signals at light speed down branching, maze-like pathways whilst, at the same time, finding one small knot of circuitry. Indomitable Will: Superman has shown to have a powerful Force of Will, completely free of evil or temptation. Having been raised by a kindly Kansas farmer and his wife, Superman was taught to protect life and help others. He is very optimistic and never gives up, even when things look bad. *'Torquasm Vo': Torquasm Vo is a Kryptonian discipline that Superman uses sometimes. It is basically a means of focusing ones mental discipline to help fight adverse effects such as mental domination. It can be used to manipulate someone's mind. Superman used that ability during his fight against the Eradicator. It was used to create an illusion to let Superman enter inside the Eradicator. *'Torquasm Rao': Allows him to tap into his instincts and separate himself from his body. Makes him able to prevent others from manipulating his mind and allows him to fight on the astral plane. Investigation Journalism Leadership: Superman has proven many times over his ability to command respect and inspire others with his charisma, ardor, and idealism. He often serves as the primus inter pares of the Justice League. Limiters: Over the course of his life and acquisition of power under a yellow sun, Superman has learned how to place mental inhibitors on his own power. These "limiters" as he calls them, are used to keep his power in check so that he doesn't accidentally "flex and cause the tectonic plates to shift." Though it is known that he has placed several of these limiters within his own mind, it is unknown how many and just how powerful he would be if he decided to release them all (although a fully unrestrained Superman has managed to destroy an entire universe in the past). To him, they are the barriers that allow him to be human enough to live a normal life, and he only ever releases one of them when fighting a particularly powerful opponent or performing a predominately difficult task. Strength Level Class 100+; the exact magnitude of Superman's strength is unknown but he has demonstrated that his strength is so vast, that he is capable of even moving an object as large as a planet. This ability to move large objects suggests that his apparent strength may be partially psionic in nature due to the laws of physics which place clear limits on a human-sized object moving a planetary-sized one. (Superman would tend to go-through such a body before he could impart a motion to it because of his small size relative to such a body and the essential 'granular' nature of a planets composition. Also, when Superman is shown lifting an object such as a large building, if native strength was all that he employed in the effort, the building would crumble under its own weight.) Weaknesses Vulnerability to Magic: Superman's biomatrix is his most powerful asset, but the strength of this field is also its greatest weakness. It's permeability to certain wavelengths makes Superman vulnerable to certain radiations, particularly magical energies whose chaotic electromagnetic or extradimensional signatures disrupt this forcefield. Superman's vulnerability to magic varies depending upon the special effects of the magic. No magic seems to be able to directly destroy him unless it comes from a semi-divine or divine source. He can be injured and worn down by magical entities. Magic can have powerful and unpredictable effects on Superman and his magical enemies have often proven to be the most dangerous. Recently, Superman has learned more about magic with the help of Zatanna and he is able to counter almost every spell. Magic has unknown effects on him. He was able to survive when he had a magical sword in the chest and a magical arrow in his back. It was during a fight against four Elder Gods. A fight that Superman won. He was able to withstand a magical blast that managed to knockout the entire JLA and both Wonder Woman (magic being) and Zauriel (Angel). He went after the enemy in question and stopped him. Vulnerability to Kryptonite: Since the destruction of Krypton, its remains (rendered radioactive by the explosion) have been spreading throughout the universe as Kryptonite, a crystalline substance whose specific radiation is lethal to Kryptonians native to this reality. The most common form of Kryptonite is Green Kryptonite, and its effect is directly poisonous. Kryptonite from other realities does not necessarily have the same effects on all Kryptonians. For example, Kryptonite from the Pocket Universe is not as lethal to Superman as Kryptonite that comes from his native reality. Superman was able to survive inside a Red Sun that was surrounded by Kryptonite. Although it is his main weakness, Superman has exhibited an ability to power through its effects through sheer force of will, at least to an extent, usually when up against enemies like Metallo and Kryptonite Man. He has also been able to overcome exposure to Krptonite through the use of a (lead-lined) radiation suit and by absorbing vast amounts of yellow solar energy. Kryptonians: On the rare occasions where he has battled other Kryptonians, they seem more easily able to harm one another as well. A noticeable observation is that other Kryptonians appear to develop superhuman abilities immediately upon entering a yellow star system, whereas it took Kal-El many years living under a yellow sun for his powers to develop. (This may be because he arrived on Earth as a toddler. Had he been an adult or perhaps adolescent his powers would likely have manifested themselves much more readily.) Lead: Superman cannot see through lead with his vision powers. Solar Energy: Superman's abilities will eventually weaken without replenishing his energy reserves with normal (yellow) sun radiation. When exposed to the same red solar radiation as Krypton's red sun Rao, it causes Superman to lose his powers within a large amount of exposure until the exposure to yellow sunlight will reverse this effect. Psionics Trivia *Superman does drink alcohol *Superman's favorite food is porkchop *Clark's favorite movie is To Kill a Mockingbird *Superman is Scribe's favorite super hero of all time Gallery Man's best friend.jpg|Superman and Krypto Author's Note "People think he's a boy scout, but he's really so much more. He's got this mentality...this reasoning...that's not simply about being a 'goody two shoes'; no, it's the fact that he KNOWS how powerful he is, how dangerous he is. He KNOWS that with the flex of his muscels he could shift the entire earth. We've seen him move planets. We've seen him show the capability to destroy entire universes. He's one of the most, if not the most, powerful super heroes ever. But that's the point. He's so overpowered that...he really isn't. His morals clash with his powers, grounding him to the earth as a human, instead of a god..." - Scribe Category:Last Scribe of Krypton Category:Earth-929 Category:Super Strength Category:Super Durability Category:Super Stamina Category:Super Speed Category:Super Agility Category:Super Senses Category:Heat Vision Category:Arctic Breath Category:X-Ray Vision Category:Flight Category:Aliens Category:Males Category:Heroes Category:Heterosexual Characters Category:Expert Combatant Category:Naturally Enhanced Biology Category:Married Characters Category:Invulnerability Category:Hyper-Reflexes Category:Energy Absorption Category:Vulnerability to Magic Category:Vulnerability to Kryptonite Category:Energy Blasts Category:Enhanced Intellect Category:Prodigies Category:Presumed Deceased Category:Accelerated Vision Category:Cosmic Awareness Category:Healing Factor Category:Super Breath Category:The Tetrad Category:Featured Articles